Far from the Mediterranean
\nnews agency
\nNECOCLI
\nAhmed Kabeer fled his homeland of Sudan where he was tortured and traveled thousands of miles to find himself in a new hell: the ominous jungle that straddles Colombia and Panama.
\nUnlike hundreds of thousands of other African migrants that crowd into precarious boats and launch into the Mediterranean Sea hoping to reach Europe, Kabeer\u2019s aim is the United States. \u201cThere is a route\u201d through Latin America, said Kabeer, who has a huge scar on his left leg and walks with a limp.
\nKabeer is one of 23 people from the other side of the world who \u2014 along with hundreds of Haitians and Cubans \u2014 are waiting in a camp to cross the daunting Darien Gap having fled war and poverty. They are united by anxiety. Following a forced pause due to the pandemic, the moment has come to cross the jungle corridor between Colombia and Panama that spans more than 250 kilometers (155 miles). Almost 700 migrants have been held up in Necocli, Colombia for weeks.
\nThey set up a makeshift camp in the village while waiting for the border with Panama to reopen.
\nArriving in South America was the easy part for Kabeer, 34. \u201cI find it\u2019s not very difficult that Brazil gives visas for people,\u201d he said. From Brazil he went to Peru and Ecuador before arriving in Colombia.The route to the US passes through Panama and on northwards through Central America.
\nVisas won\u2019t be a problem now given the porous borders he will cross, but he\u2019ll need money for bribes.
\nOdyssey
\nKabeer\u2019s odyssey began in 2003 when war broke out in the Darfur region of Sudan amidst accusations of ethnic cleansing against the government of then-president Omar Al-Bashir. The next year, Kabeer\u2019s mother and uncle were murdered. He set off through several countries in Africa and the Middle East before he was expelled from Israel in 2018. He returned to Sudan but a year later was captured by the security forces. Kabeer insists he was tortured due to his tribal association. A scar stretching down his calf to his Achilles tendon bears witness to his suffering.
\nHe fled again to Egypt this time and opened a small business. But he was robbed. In desperation he traveled as a tourist to Sao Paulo last year. Upon arrival he continued another 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) over land. \u201cI only want a safe place where I can speak English … like USA, like Canada,\u201d he said. It will likely take seven to 10 weeks just to reach Mexico. \u201cIt\u2019s a route that is not safe 100 percent so I will find some difficulties,\u201d Kabeer acknowledged.
\nThe probability of suffering \u201cphysical and psychological violence is very high throughout the whole journey, especially between Colombia and Panama,\u201d a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration said.
\nBut these migrants feel the risks are worth it.
\n\u201cIn Africa there are a lot of problems … there\u2019s no work, there\u2019s a lot of corruption,\u201d said Karifala Fofana, a Guinean occupying a tent next to Kadeer\u2019s.
\n\u201cEven if you\u2019ve finished your studies, even if you\u2019re intelligent,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cIf you\u2019re not from a rich family … you\u2019re screwed.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Far from the Mediterranean news agency NECOCLI Ahmed Kabeer fled his homeland of Sudan where he was tortured and traveled thousands of miles to find himself in a new hell: the ominous jungle that straddles Colombia and Panama. Unlike hundreds of thousands of other African migrants that crowd into precarious boats and launch into the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":174229,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-174221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n